A writer in theory only 😎

——Darius' POV——

[BLACK]

There were words I couldn't say until the final day.

Or more accurately, I could say them, except to but one person.

Those words were originally empty, nothing beyond nonsense…

But because of a human who filled that hollowness, she had gained the power to kill me.

That's why I can't say "I love you" to you.

[CHURCH - NAVE - NIGHT]

What started as feather-like kisses soon deepened.

Kate: Nn…haa…Da…rius…

Kate's expression melted as she was swept up by the kisses, and she tried her darndest to intertwine our tongues as she clung to me.

(This is hardly a thing to be done before God…but I don't feel like stopping.)

In fact, doing such immoral things in this sort of setting only turned me on, and intending to go all the way, my hand slipped in her skirt.

But just as I was about to pull her undergarments, Kate ended up regaining her senses.

Kate: We mustn't do more in a place of worship…!

Darius: This church has seen blood countless times, and yet you're fretting over this?

Darius: If anything, I think what we were going to do would be a much more welcome act than killing.

Kate: That…is true, but…

I didn't really believe in any god, nor did I feel any holiness from this place.

This was just a church— nothing more, nothing less.

(But apparently Kate doesn't seem so keen on doing it here.)

I wanted nothing more than to become one with her this second, but I didn't want to force her.

[BLACK]

So left without much choice, I hoisted her up— and decided to make love to her in the carriage.

[CARRIAGE INTERIOR - NIGHT]

Kate: —ahh…ngh!

In the rocking carriage, Kate was disheveled on my lap as she let out a moan.

Her entrance, which took in my fingers, had completely loosened, and the nectar dripping down her thighs was incredibly alluring.

Darius: I haven't even moved an inch and yet you're already this much of a mess…you're lewd as always, I see.

Kate: Because I, oh…!

Indeed, those two fingers had yet to move.

It was just this carriage was running on a road that was seldom maintained, so the sway caused her body to move and subsequently me to fondle inside.

(Hehe, she's adorable.)

My lover had tears in her eyes as she bore the pleasure. Her look seemed to plead me to move,

but I couldn't help but grow curious what she would do if I stayed like this a tad longer,

so I thought to stay unmoving when at the next moment—

[SCREEN FLASHES WHITE]

Kate: Ngahh!?

Darius: Whoops. (O_O)

The carriage jumped, causing my fingers to reach her core.

And unable to take the sudden sensation, Kate came undone before leaning into me, exhausted.

Darius: I didn't think you would be so naughty that you'd come from a carriage.

Kate: Ah…

I drew my fingers out a little while teasing her, to which she let out a pleading voice in between pants.

Darius: Already at your limit? Because I'm not satisfied yet.

I undid my buttons, about to put it in.

With a gasp, Kate clung to me as she bore the pleasure when…

Kate: Ah…

At the worst timing, we arrived at the palace.

(…That good-for-nothing human.)

Kate got off my lap in a panic, putting distance with me in more ways than one before putting her clothes back on.

I couldn't get past my heat becoming cold in a matter of an instant, along with her attitude…

[BLACK]

And so the moment the door to my room closed I thrusted inside.

[PALACE - DARIUS' ROOM - NIGHT]

Kate: W-why—

Darius: "Why," you ask, because you were acting all distant with me just some moments ago.

I pinned her against the wall, relentlessly pounding in.

The sounds could probably be heard from the hallway on the other side, but I couldn't care less.

Darius: Be grateful that human who got in our way even got out alive.

[SCREEN FLASHES WHITE]

Kate: Ahh—!

Her body shook as nectar dripped out from where we were connected.

Unable to tell left and right from the pleasure, tears fell from Kate's eyes and her mouth opened and closed.

But even that expression— did nothing but turn me on.

Darius: Consider it your fault for me not being gentle, Kate.

[BLACK]

Before she could ask why, I thrust in once again, hard.

[PALACE - DARIUS' ROOM - NIGHT]

I intended to sleep while holding Kate, who was exhausted from the relentless act,

but before I knew it I was sleeping with my face in her chest.

(…Again?)

It seemed Kate felt more safe holding onto something while she slept, and so she usually fell asleep while holding me.

But it would seem my head was easier to hold than my body, so this was a common thing to wake up in the morning to.

(Goodness…not the best position to sleep in.) (˶◜ᵕ◝˶)

When it came to this, she wouldn't let go easily, so I simply listened to her heartbeat and closed my eyes.

(…She's alive and well.)

My lover was breathing as usual.

It was smaller than mine, and a tad colder too.

She could die off so easily, and yet her heart continued its steady beat.

(If only my fate was in reverse.)

It would be better if Kate was the one who died upon saying the words "I love you."

Because that way, on the world's final day, she would meet her death having loved me.

(If I let you stay in a world without me for a minute or a second longer, someone else might catch your eye.)

I was sure she would prove to me otherwise until the very end,

but even so, I wanted my heart to stop the same moment as hers.

Darius: …I ended up aware of this troublesome feeling, no thanks to you.

Darius: So take responsibility and stay by my side until the very last moment.

Darius: End everything…having made me believe in this love.

All of a sudden, Kate's eyes opened, and she held my head close.

Kate: …I love you, Darius.

Darius: One more time, for me.

Kate: I love you…hehe, I love…

Her eyes soon closed, and I could hear her breathing as she slept. I planted a kiss on her chest, leaning my head in.

Darius: Me, too, I—

[BLACK]

And as usual, I swallowed the words that were about to spill.

masterlist 🪽💎 ┊ ko-fi ☕️ ┊ comms 🤍 ┊ backlog 🕰️

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NOTE: the ost i mentioned in the tags is called [花模様のオルゴール] (hana moyō no orugōru, en: music box with a floral pattern), from one of my all time favorite anime, natsume’s book of friends.

────────୨ৎ────────

If life were a fairytale, what would await us at the end of a sinful love?

A tragedy filled with suffering and despair?

Or a happy ending where love redeems evil?

Kate: Hmmm….

Kate: Maybe I should refine the educational policies and operational rules a bit more.

I glanced through a mountain of documents, affixing the necessary signatures.

Weeks had passed since the resolution of the recent incidents, and I was now grappling with the paperwork involved in preparing for the children’s home opening.

All while sitting on Will's lap as he held me from behind.

Kate: Okay, next up….

William: I've already cross-checked the employee list against the envelope addresses.

Kate: Wait—when did you do that!?

William: While you were busy signing away.

Kate: Thank you.

William: If you want to thank me, do it here.

Kate: Hehe, okay.

I leaned in and placed a light kiss on the lips he offered.

Kate: Thanks to you, Will, I've finished everything that needed sorting out today!

William: You’ve worked hard. How's the injury on your left hand?

Will gently cradled my left palm, offering a comforting, caring touch.

This habit of working while sitting on his lap had actually started when he would turn the pages for me to spare my injured hand.

The wound I had inflicted on myself with a golden knife was almost completely healed now.

[Flashback]

Roger: The cut was clean, so stitching it up was easy.

Roger: You didn't hesitate, just drove it right in, didn't ya, lil’ lady? Impressive.

[Flashback Ends]

It felt like ages ago that they had laughed and joked about it like that.

(It’s healed up nicely, so I don't really need him to help me like this anymore, but...)

(I won't tell him that.)

Because I had realised something.

Will used to say it pained him to see me hurt. But now, he was now gazing at my scar with a look that seemed almost pleased, and held a certain heat in his eyes.

Kate: Well, my hand...it still hurts a bit sometimes.

William: ….Oh, really?

It seemed like Will saw right through my lie.

William: That’s good.

Kate: Is it?

William: Mm, because it gives me plenty of opportunities to receive a reward.

Kate: Haha…mmn…

He kissed me like he was trying to rob me of my chuckle over his characteristic response.

Kate: Haah... Will... what’s this a reward for...?

William: For the self-restraint I showed while holding you on my lap.

Kate: …Huh!

It seems Will’s self-control is still completely broken.

I feel like there’s more physical contact between us than before—and that’s not just my imagination.

Seeing me my mind completely melted, Will gives a mischievous smile.

William: I hate to break it to you while you’re liquefying so adorably, Kate….

Kate: ??

William: But we’ll be in trouble if we don’t leave soon.

(Trouble...?)

As he quickly kisses the tip of my nose, I glance at the clock.

Kate: Oh no! Will, we have to hurry!

Snapping back to my senses, I hurriedly jumped off Will’s lap.

It was only a few days after the Marchioness took her own life in Bloomsbury, that Will was finally able to walk openly through the streets of London.

The charge of high treason that William was suspected of buzzed in the headlines for days.

The only reason it resolved within a short time was due to—

[Transitions to the Dining Room]

Victor: I was offered a deal. By the upper echelons of the police force.

Victor: They wanted to cover up the fact that the former Deputy Commissioner was involved.

Victor: And in exchange for pinning everything on Lady Avarus, they promised not to prosecute William for the murder of the Deputy Commissioner.

Jude: So, didja take that shady ass deal?

Victor: …On the surface, at least.

Ellis: What do you mean by on the surface?

William: If it becomes known that wrongdoing can be covered up through negotiation, then Crown loses its power of deterrence.

William: Even if I were found guilty, the Deputy Commissioner's crimes and the manner of his death ought to be made public.

Victor: But if Will were executed just as the Deputy Commissioner had plotted, then Crown's deterrent power would still diminish since it would look like a victory for evil over Crown, wouldn’t it?

Victor: Besides, among the government and military officials who had let the Deputy Commissioner run wild...there were those plotting to cash in if a war broke out.

Liam: ….That’s horrendous.

Victor: So, partly as a warning to those people...

William: I had a rising paper dedicated to justice break the story.

With a sharp slap, Will spread a copy of London Vigilance across the table.

A shocking headline blazed across the front page of the paper, which was edited by Bryan.

“Ex-Deputy Commissioner Complicit in Marchioness' Plot to Devastate England!"

William: And of course, I had them expose my crimes as well.

“Earl Rex and A Stormy Night of Slaughter: The Hushed Up Murder of the Ex-Deputy Commissioner!”

The paper was published immediately after a secret deal was struck with the police hierarchy—resulting in an official statement claiming the Marchioness alone was to blame.

The exposé, revealing details that contradicted the official account, is selling like hotcakes, and a heated debate over the truth of the story is now raging across London.

Ellis: So you told the paper the real story, and broadcast it to all of England?

Jude: Tch, really are off yer rocker, ain’tcha?

William: The official statement cleared both the Deputy Commissioner and myself. But the truth is, we were both completely guilty.

William: It’s up to each individual citizen to decide whether or not we deserve judgment.

William: It wouldn't be fair unless I went this far, would it?

Victor: The police high-officials recognise this is our doing, but their hands are tied.

Victor: If they acknowledge Will's guilt, they're forced to admit the former Deputy Commissioner's involvement, too.

Ellis: Both Crown and the police seem like evil organisations, don’t they?

Roger: Ellis, it’s not just that Crown seems like one, we are one.

Harrison: So that’s why the public is still buzzing with arguments over whether Will is guilty or innocent.

Alfons: As far as I'm concerned, you’re the number one person I don’t want to walk down the street with right now, William.

Liam: The stares really cut right through you, don't they?

Alfons: I may be used to Elbie drawing everyone's eyes, but those gazes were so intense I thought I might burn to a crisp.

Liam: Yeah, when you came to see the play the other day, I was actually a little scared to stand next to you.

William: Ahaha, sorry about that.

Jude: Ya don’t mean that a lick, do ya?

Elbert: ….. In the future, there may well be an increase in people who seek to judge Will as evil...and just as many who revere him as a figure of justice.

Elbert: Will you be all right, Kate?

Elbert’s fathomless ocean eyes peered into mine, searching for an answer.

Kate: I’m….

Even now that one incident has been resolved, it might merely be the prelude to our downfall.

As long as Will remains true to himself and embraces his role as a villain, and as long as I remain true to myself and protect him, a tempest will surely swallow us up again and drag us toward destruction.

Time and again, we will be wounded, and we will cause suffering to those we love.

(But... I won't agonize over it anymore.)

Kate: Of course, I'll be fine. After all, I am the partner of a terribly villainous sinner.

Kate: I can weather a storm like this, no matter how many times it comes.

Elbert: I see….

Elbert: ….You truly do become more beautiful with each passing day.

Regarding the other atrocity Will committed that night — It was Vogel who brought us information regarding the mass slaughter at Libra's British headquarters.

Darius told us, “The truth was covered over and buried quietly in the darkness.”

Darius: There was no sign of an undertaker being used, yet not a single corpse was found.

Darius: I suspect they were all reduced to ash right there inside the building.

Darius: Libra operates as a charitable organisation on the surface, after all...they probably didn't want the bloody details coming to light.

Darius: That sounds exactly like something that Lucien Mortcendre would do. I really can’t stand that guy. <( ⸝⸝•̀ - •́⸝⸝)>

We haven't seen Lucien since that day.

And so, having returned to a daily life that was now just a little more dangerous than before, we were currently aboard a train, leaving London and heading towards our destination.

[Transitions to Rex Villa - Piano Room]

Kate: Wow….

We arrived at the villa where Will spent his childhood, the very place where I had nearly killed him with my golden knife.

You know, between his PR and this route, this place has been called an Annex, a Mansion, and a Villa. It's maddening. Which is it? Just pick one and stick with it. ( •̀ - •́ )

Seeing how I regretted my first visit here had unfolded, Will suggested that we come back again.

William: Kate, come here.

Kate: What’s this?

William: An apology for not being able to properly welcome you the other day...

He tucked a fresh, vibrant rose into my hair.

William: Red looks lovely on you today, too.

Kate: Heh, well it is the color of my monarch.

The red rose in my hair brings to mind the red that dripped from my hand that day.

The polished black marble floor, now devoid of any trace of blood, reflected the light streaming through the beautiful stained glass, shimmering with a soft, dusky glow.

Kate: …I could barely see my surroundings back then, but...it’s so beautiful.

I had heard this was the place where Will’s parents had confined him to keep him isolated from the world, but knowing that the time spent here shaped the Will I know today, I felt no ill will toward the place.

William: I'm glad you like it.

William: I hold this place dear, too.…especially this piano.

Kate: What kind of memories do you have attached to it?

William: I used to play it often when things were painful.

(When things were painful...)

When I realised he was about to open up to me about his past suffering, I looked up at him in with a start.

William: This place is a cemetery for my emotions….where I poured them out through music instead of words.

Will took my hand and gently urged me to sit on the piano bench beside him.

William: Shall we begin, then?

He placed his fingertips on the keys and drew a breath.

At that signal, a melody began to flow, cascading like light spilling down from the heavens. My fingers and Will’s danced across the black and white keys.

Together, we wove a single melody, moving toward the final bar line.

Playing, singing, rushing—as if loathed to let it end.

William: The first time I touched a piano, it was to stave off loneliness.

Kate: Back when you told me about it before….You said that it was only natural to be shunned and isolated for being born with a cursed ability…..

William: Intellectually, I understood that. But my heart...that was a different story.

William: Back then, before I was truly prepared to live as a force of evil.….

William: Being alone was lonely.

Will’s profile looked more vulnerable than I had ever seen it.

(Right now...I’m touching the tenderest part of Will’s heart.)

Feeling as though I’ve been granted entry into a secret place, I pour wordless emotions into the fingertips striking the keys.

William: But I cast aside such sentimentality the day I killed my father.

William: Evil must be punished.

William: And punishment entails suffering and pain. Otherwise, no one would hesitate to cross the line between good and evil.

William: That’s why...I assumed the punishment for the sin of loving you….would naturally be a pain beyond anything I’d known before.

William: No — I was convinced that was how it had to be.

William: So, to ensure my suffering wouldn't shackle your gentle heart, I resolved to keep smiling, no matter what agony I endured.

William: I loved you, fully prepared to swallow pain that could drive a man mad.

Will suddenly lifted his fingers from the keys, bringing the music to a halt.

The melody, never reaching its final notes, dissolved into the light filtering through the stained glass.

Kate: …. The way you just put it...makes it sound like your thinking has changed, Will.

William: Yes, it has changed.

William: ….You’re the one who changed it.

Will quietly stood up and held out his hand to me.

William: I’m about to make a confession. Will listen to me, Kate?

(A confession...?)

Despite the weight of that word, Will was smiling happily, so much so that I felt no hesitation at all in nodding.

Kate: …I’m listening, Will. To hear you confess your sins.….it’s the greatest luxury.

As we climbed the stairs hand in hand, we were enveloped in dazzling light.

In this secluded villa, the light refracted through the colorful glass, limned our figures brilliantly against the surrounding darkness; as if it were blessing us the both of us who had chosen to be here of our own accord.

Kate: ….You want to make your confession here?

William: Yes, and since you wouldn’t like it if I knelt down….

Kate: Eek!

William: I think I’ll pick you up while I confess.

Will looks up at me, squinting slightly against the light, and whispers as if sharing a secret.

William: …..You were getting hurt and breaking down for my sake.

William: The suffering I experienced as I watched that was a fitting punishment for choosing to be loved by you.

William: That’s why…I was prepared to accept everything….the pain and the despair.

William: I was ready to taste every bit of it, and just smile.

William: But….the punishment you delivered wasn't just painful.

Kate: ……It wasn’t?

William: It made me happy, Kate.

William: When I saw you harming yourself, burying a blade in your own hand, just to keep me alive...

William: That burning red spilling from your palm...The voice of your heart screaming that you loved me— It was enough to drown out the sorrow of seeing you hurt.

William: I was simply.…happy.

Kate: ……[sniffle]

Before I could even hear the end of Will's confession, tears were already spilling over.

Drip by drip, they slid down my cheeks, and as gently as a spring rain, they began to dampen Will's cheeks as well.

Kate: I always.…I always wish...That your life holds more joy than suffering.

Kate: But I thought…..the more I try to protect you, the more I end up hurting you. That the pain might be driving you closer to your end.

Kate: And maybe….I’m the one actually leading you to it as I try to save you…

William: Kate……..

(I see... all this time...)

(Living with you and loving you…)

(I was afraid it was something.….forbidden for me.)

Having finally put into words the anxiety I had buried deep within my heart, my mind cleared, feeling as fresh and bright as the sky after the rain.

Wiping the corners of my eyes and smiling through my tears, I gazed into Will's crimson ones.

Kate: But that night...at this place…I realised something.

Kate: That there was a desire I could no longer let go of.

I gently wiped the tears from Will's cheek with my fingertips, then cradled his face in both hands.

Will surely knew what that desire was by now, but he asked me softly, desiring confirmation.

William: ….Won’t you tell me?

William: That desire you were screaming deep within your heart back then.

William: Not in the red of blood this time.….but in your own voice.

Just as Will had once confessed his sins to me, I openly confessed my own.

Breathing in deep the scent of roses wet from the rain—a fragrance like an extremely sweet poison that had always, from the moment we met, made me lay my true self bare.

Kate: Even knowing it causes you pain, I want to protect you….even if it means getting hurt myself.

Kate: Even if it draws you closer to a destined fate, I want to stay by your side.

Kate: Even if I must stain my hands with the sin of hurting you, I still...

Kate: I still want to keep on loving you.

That’s my sin, and a punishment for you.

My selfishness. My happiness.

Something good for me. Something that remains unchanged, no matter what happens.

A devotion offered only to you—My own brand of sinful love.

William: Your desire has...stained the punishment for our sin of loving each other...with pure bliss.

William: Keep loving me as your desire dictates, keep hurting yourself for my sake—give yourself entirely to me.

William: Give me the suffering.….and the joy that transcends it.

Tears well up in my eyes again, but instead of answering, I smile and press my forehead against his.

Will’s eyes, which always see through my desires and draws them out, are now fixed solely on me, burning with yearning.

If life were a fairy tale, what would await us at the end of this sinful love?

A tragedy steeped in pain and despair? Or a happy ending where love redeems even the wicked?

(The answer is...neither.)

A fairytale only reaches its conclusion when evil is judged.

There is no happy ending.

And yet, in the depths of that profound darkness — far removed from any tragedy — there was an over abundance of sinful happiness.

For there, a single flower of love was blossoming.

William: I love you.

William: My sin, my punishment, my happiness, my despair.

William: My…My…..Beloved Robin.

Let us love one another, here in this darkness filled with both despair and bliss.

Let us remain selfish—right up to the final second when the music reaches its end.

I offer it all to the one who loved me—

My sin and my punishment.

˗ˏˋ ℱ𝒾𝓃 ˎˊ˗

[Sequel Master] [Special Story]

My heart is so incredibly full for them, and the special story is sweet too (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )づ♡

T/L Note: Sorry the video was so long. I forgot to re-record that part at a faster speed, but still wanted to include it.

Victor “I hear the target of last night’s condemnation was found dead at the scene.”

Victor “And apparently Libra was there, too.”

The day after encountering Libra members at the site of their mission, William and Jude were both present in Victor's office.

William “Yes. Their leader Lucien was there, as well as Zane and Euren of the UK branch.”

William “It is unknown whether the target of this judgement had any connection to them.”

Victor “Neema’s preliminary report mentioned that the condition of the target’s body was peculiar….”

William “They were lying on the dining table with their lips pressed together.”

Victor “…I see. That is certainly ‘peculiar.’”

William “It’s also unclear whether they were killed by someone’s abilities or if there was another cause of death.”

Jude “…Their boss was also interested in Neema.”

Victor “Hmm… Alright.. This needs some of that…"

Jude and William “What’s that?”

Victor “—Heart-pounding ★ Information Exchange Time!!”

Jude and William “Huh?” “Ah…”

Victor “Fortunately, we’re all people who more or less have some sort of connection with each of them, so why don’t we exchange some information?”

Jude “I only know Euren, and you guys probably have info on him too already.”

Victor “It’s true we’ve done business with him a few times, but it’s strictly a professional relationship.”

Victor "Since you were his senior at public school, I was just wondering if he might show a side of himself to you that he doesn't show us."

Jude scowled dramatically and clicked his tongue, looking annoyed.

Jude “…Do you guys even know Zane and Lucien?”

William “Zane is someone Victor has tried to recruit for Crown multiple times, only to be rejected every time.”

Victor “William, please don’t twist the knife in the wound, it’s still fresh.”

William “As for Lucien, we’ve been ‘friends’ since I was 14.”

Jude “Tch… ‘friends,’ huh?”

Victor “It’s fine if there are things you don’t want to reveal. But I’d like you to tell me one thing.”

The storm washed away the blood that had been spilled and passed on.

The carriage transporting us came to a halt in front of a townhouse in Bloomsbury.

William: Does your wound hurt?

Kate: Fortunately, it’s not in my dominant hand….so it won’t hinder me from protecting you, Will.

William: Haha, what a reliable knight you are.

Lips curved into a smile gently brushed against my cheek.

That faint sensation vanished as quickly as a dream.

When I plead with my eyes for that sensation again, Will kissed my lips too.

(It’s like he’s telling me ‘it’s okay, this is real.’)

Live with me.

The moment I heard that command from Will, I regained my freedom—as if the strings controlling me had been severed.

Overcome by extreme tension, blood loss, and the mental exhaustion of resisting Lucien’s ability, I lost consciousness right there in Will’s arms.

I didn’t wake up in the inn’s bed until the following day, after the long-lasting storm had passed.

(I still don't know why I was freed from Lucien’s ability.)

Will's theory was that his and Lucien's cursed abilities had canceled each other out.

To what extent could the ability control one's actions? What were the conditions for lifting it?

(There are still far too many mysteries surrounding Lucien’s ability.)

William: ….. Well then, shall we get going?

Kate: Yes, I’m ready whenever you are.

I gently placed my hand on the arm he offered and stepped down from the carriage.

News of Will murdering the former deputy commissioner and escaping prison, or of the carnage he unleashed at Libra, had not yet made the headlines.

Yet, the false charges against him had not been cleared, either.

(It’s dangerous for Will to show himself in London right now. But still...)

There was a reason we had come here, despite the risks.

Straightening my posture, I was about to step into the townhouse when-

William: Kate.

Kate: Yes? Mm…..

My arm was pulled from behind and our lips met.

As our kiss grew deeper, our tongues twined. Will pulled me firmly into his embrace, supporting my body that was weakening from the sweet, tingling sensation.

Kate: Haa... W-Will?

William: Sorry. My self-control has been broken ever since the other day.

Kate: Y-your self-control...?

William: Yes, and it doesn’t look like it’ll be repaired.

Without a hint of apology, he planted another quick kiss on my eyelids and told me-

William: Get used to it.

Placing a final kiss on my lips, Will briskly headed into the residence without even waiting for my response.

Kate: What…

Kate: What was that? Are you trying to utterly devastate me??

It seems that now the storm has passed, my Monarch has become even more sinful and self-willed.

(Even though I’d nearly killed him just yesterday.)

(Is it really okay to be this happy...?)

I haven't quite sorted out my feelings regarding the events of the past few days.

Yet, I knew one thing clearly.

This present moment, where we still love each other, is dazzling and full of happiness.

And there is an evil deed that needed to be carried out.

William: Kate, come along.

Kate: Oh, yes! Coming!

(For now, I’ll just keep moving forward.)

(To see our evil through to the end.)

Praying for the heat flushing up to the tips of my ears to subside, I hurried after him.

???: Ah, welcome.

Kate: Huh..?

Standing in the room I just entered was a refined-looking woman.

(According to Will, the true culprit behind the plot to topple the country was supposed to be hiding in this house.)

‘L.A.’ - that person was supposedly Lesli Avarus, son of the late Marquis Avarus.

Yet, the figure in front of me was clothed in a tar-black dress and veil, appearing as if she were mourning.

William: So it was you after all, and not your son.

William: Lucretia Avarus…the Dowager Marchioness.

Katakana uses 'Lucrezia', but that is the Italian spelling. I changed it to Lucretia to match English spelling of the name.

(L.A…..Lucretia Avarus. The wife of the late Marquis Avarus.)

William: Where is your son, Lesli Avarus?

Lucretia: I helped him escape overseas.

Lucretia: Rest assured. I’ve told him never to return, and besides, the boy can’t accomplish anything on his own.

Lucretia: He was only managing to keep his sanity from unraveling by indulging in the delusion of bringing about England's collapse.

Lady Lucretia set down her teacup, rose from her chair, walked over to the window, and gazed out at London spread out below with a sorrowful look in her eyes.

Lucretia: It was I who devised the plan to realise my son's delusions and incited that boy—the copycat of the 'Queen of Hearts'.

Lucretia: And it was I who dug up the drug the late Marquis had created and tried to unleash it upon the world.

Kate: Why.…would you do such a thing?

Lady Lucretia slowly turned around.

Lucretia: Because I loved him.

Her faint, dark smile was tinged with such profound despair that I was left speechless.

Lucretia: The man I loved was dismissed simply as evil, and his death was mocked with laughter.

Lucretia: ….It’s true. What he did was wicked.

Lucretia: But there were moments when that wasn't the case. Truly, there were.

Lucretia And I hate everything that tries to erase even those moments from existence...

Lucretia: I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it…..!

Lucretia: …It became unbearable.

William: ….I see.

Will offered no affirmation or denial; he simply acknowledged the anguished cry from her heart.

At his response, the eyes that had been wide with hatred slowly lost their intensity, as if the venom had been drained away.

(…It was just as Will had said.)

[Flashback]

William: Revenge is a powerfully visceral emotion. But with the mass assassinations, the vast distribution of drugs…

William: I sense something much darker and colder in the methods used this time.

[Flashback ends]

(Let everything in the world perish.)

Lucretia: But that’s all over now.

Lucretia: The authorities and the press never pursued you, even though they had once publicly vilified you...

Lucretia: You are the one who killed my husband, aren't you...?

William: …Yes.

William: I’m the one who killed the person you loved.

Lucretia: I see…

Lucretia: Then, just like my husband, I suppose I’ll be judged by you for my crimes.

In her hand, she clutched a stiletto knife.

Kate: L-Lady Lucretia.

Lucretia: If only you had….killed me back then too.

With a whisper, she slit her own throat.

The single tear that fell from the corner of her eye was immediately swallowed up by gushing blood.

(Dying in madness, consumed by the despair of losing the one you loved.)

As her lifeless body collapsed onto the floor, she didn't feel like a stranger to me at all.

(She might be a reflection of my future self...or perhaps, a future Will.)

I stepped into the pool of blood, sank to my knees, and gently closed her wide, vacant eyes.

William: ……..

Will knelt silently beside me, removed the knife from the lady's grasp, and softly folded her hands over her chest.

(Someday, after I’ve died protecting you...)

(Will there be anyone to close your eyelids as you meet your ruin?)

Even if the final bar line tears me away from you, I want to stay by your side for as long as I possibly can.

Unable to suppress that wish, I gently took Will’s hand, when suddenly….

William: ….Kate.

I look up when my name is suddenly called.

At the same moment, a black cloak trimmed in gold and red envelops me.

(W-what is it…?)

As I manage to lift my gaze from Will's chest, I see him glaring at someone with murderous rage.

Lucien’s Voice: She took her own life then?

Kate: !!!

My body stiffened the second I heard his voice.

William: This saves me the trouble of going to see you…Lucien Mortcendre.

My heart gives a sickening thud.

[Answer: I’m okay - +10]

(...I’m okay.)

(...I managed to resist that ability once before.)

(I'll fight it off again and again.)

Kate: Will.

William: …….

Conveying that I’m all right with a single look, Will’s eyes flicker ever so slightly, but...

William: I won't ask you to stand behind me, but at least stay by my side. So that I can protect you, too.

After he whispered his reply, he swept aside the cloak that had been shielding me.

Lucien: I had received reports from the subordinates I left at the Rex villa...

Lucien: Apparently, you’re a woman of remarkably strong will.

His glacial gaze held no trace of irritation at things not going according to plan. He simply watched me quietly, as if observing the progress of an experiment.

Kate: The fact you’re here…..means you’ve been pulling the strings all along, doesn’t it?

Lucien: ……

Kate: Having learned about the assassinations of the copycat killer, and the Marchioness Avarus’ plan to destroy the country, you capitalized on those plots.

Kate: You brought the ex-deputy commissioner, who sought revenge on Will, and the Marchioness together.

Kate: And you devised a scheme to lead him to ruin.

William: …Finally using Kate as the trigger.

William: The rumor that Libra's an organisation that monitors and kills the cursed...is true, isn't it?

Lucien: I’ve no obligation to answer.

(Will’s likely correct.)

[Flashback]

Lucien: All the Cursed disrupt the world order as they follow their fated path to destruction.

Lucien: To minimize the impact, the sooner the curtain falls the better.

Lucien: The shorter the time spent burning in hellfire...the less agony the cursed themselves must endure as they meet their doom.

Kate: You have no right to bring his life to an end.

Lucien: This is not a right.

Lucien: It’s a mission — imposed upon me by the countless corpses piled up in the shadows of history.

[Flashback Ends]

(If what Lucien said is true…)

(He’s made it his mission to end the lives of all the Cursed Ones as their fate draws near...not just Will’s.)

(All to minimize the havoc their destruction would wreak.)

When I listened to him, I sensed something that transcended mere personal will.

Something different from the Deputy Commissioner, who tried to frame and eliminate Will out of a desire for revenge.

Or of Lady Avarus, who acted in a self-destructive manner born of despair.

(Lucien is.….lot like Will.)

He judges what he defines as evil—acting as a wicked force himself.

Kate: ….Do you intend to keep targeting Will's life?

Lucien: William Rex has been downgraded back to a subject of surveillance.

Kate: !

Lucien: He personally eliminated the evil he had created that was sowing chaos in society.

Lucien: Therefore, I am lowering the alert level.

Lucien: But if he disrupts the order again, I’ll not show mercy.

William: ….You’re as stubborn as ever.

William: That’s the very trait I’ve always liked about you.

William: However….

Just then, I noticed the chillingly cold look in Will’s eyes as he stood by my side.

He curled his lips into a smile, though they held no mirth.

(Will…?)

(Is he really that furious?)

William: There’s no room for forgiveness for having stripped Kate of her freedom, and trampled upon her will.

William: Truthfully, I tended to kill you the moment I saw you.

(W-Will?!)

Startled by way he spoke for the first time ever, I stared pointedly at him.

Lucien: Why didn't you?

At Lucien's question, Will looks over at me.

Kate: ??

Looking down at my bewildered self, Will narrows his eyes in a tender expression.

It was a smile so bewitching it sent a shiver down my spine…. like a Demon King rejoicing as he cradles his sacrificial offering.

William: Because thanks to the atrocities you committed against Kate and me...I was able to realise a wonderful truth.

Will shifted his gaze back to Lucien, tilting his head with a cold smile.

William: That’s why I decided to give you a choice.

William: Will you swear never to lay a hand on Kate again?

William: If you can’t swear to that... I’ll kill you here and now.

I gasped at the blunt, rare statement.

Lucien didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow, casting a look of scorn in my direction.

Lucien: A woman selfish enough to overpower even my own ability is unfit to be a pawn.

Lucien: I have no intention of using her in the future.

(W-what...?)

Lucien: Besides…

Lucien: I realised that if that woman were taken from you, you’d become uncontrollable.

Lucien: The next time I dispose of you, I’ll kill the two of you together.

(The two of us...together...?)

If that were to happen….then that means that I could cross over to the other side with Will?

Kate: That….

Kate: Sounds like a tempting offer, doesn’t it?

Lucien: What.... is she talking about?

William: Pff…ahaha!!

Will laughed so that his shoulders shook as he dropped a kiss on my forehead.

Then, as if to flaunt us before Lucien, who was knitting his brows together in confusion, Will gently pulled me into his embrace.

William: Isn’t she lovely?

William: My beloved partner.

[Transitions to the Street - Neu POV]

Upon leaving the Bloomsbury home, Lucien swept his black cloak around him and stepped into the alleyway.

Zane and Euren fell into step beside him before he even noticed.

Zane: Are ya really sure we don't need to kill him?

Zane tossed the question out without stopping or even glancing his way.

Lucien replied without looking back, either.

Lucien: The hands of the clock have turned back. His disposal is postponed.

Zane: Tch... That clock sure is fickle, isn't it?

Lucien: Many of the people William Rex has saved go on to benefit society.

Lucien: I suppose, for now, the advantages of having that man's brand of evil in England still outweigh the downsides.

Euren: So, a storm destroys some things but nourishes others, is that it?

Lucien: That doesn't change the fact that he's a villain on the scale of a natural disaster.

Euren: Even if you say all that... you actually kind of like him, don't youuu? Aren't you happy you didn't have to kill him~?

Euren: Must be sooo nice, I’m so jealous~!

Lucien: ......You were the one who tipped off the Crown that Avarus was hiding in Bloomsbury, weren't you?

Euren: Huhh?

Euren: Oh, come on! You said yourself that Avarus was no longer of use at that point, Lord Lucien.

Euren: I figured you'd want the Crown to take Avarus out anyway, so I just thought I'd be helpful~!

Lucien: Submit a written explanation when we get back to base.

Euren: Waaaahhh! Anything but paperwork! Zane, help meeeee!

Zane: You’re annoying. Shut up, I don’t give a shit.

Zane thrashed about, trying to shake off the clinging Euren.

Leaving the two of them behind, Lucien kept walking.

His eyes were fixed on something far, far away…..

[Sequel Master] [Chapter XII]

The sound of the room’s lock disengaging echoed just as I was swallowing down my cold meal and contemplating what lay ahead.

Bracing myself, I glared at the door. Out of the darkness, silver hair, cool and fine as silk, emerged into view.

Lucien: ….It seems you’ve eaten.

Icy blue eyes glanced briefly at the silver tray before fixing on me.

Lucien: We’re moving. Follow me.

(Will…treated this man with friendliness.)

[Flashback]

William: Still, isn’t calling her a babe a bit of an exaggeration, Lucien?

Lucien: Make sure you mind the infant properly, Rex.

[Flashback Ends]

The only time Will had shown hostility was when Lucien called me a pawn.

Kate: What kind of relationship did you have with William?

Lucien: ……

(He doesn't look like the sort of person who would kindly answer questions... but I won't budge until I get an answer.)

I had expected to be dragged away by force, but Lucien said nothing.

He simply crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall.

Lucien: I kept him under surveillance, given the danger he posed.

Lucien: I even warned him the very day we met that I’d kill him if his threat level ever crosses the threshold.

Kate: ….And what did he say to that?

Lucien: ‘Feel free to come after me if you like.'

Since Will has accepted his own destruction as a villain, he remains defenseless against threats directed against him.

(That’s why he harbored neither hostility nor loathing toward Lucien.)

(In fact, Will looked at him with the same eyes as he does with Bryan and others.)

That’s why I’m positive that Lucien also possesses the kind of strong will and conviction that would make Will look at him with a gaze as gentle as a life-giving rain….even as Lucien tries to kill him.

Kate: Why...are you trying to kill Will now?

Lucien: Because Rex's threat level has crossed the threshold.

Lucien: You must have seen it with your own eyes too, must have felt it.

Lucien: His self-righteous desires have become the catalyst, beginning to shake the foundations of order.

Kate: ……..!

Will's malice had bred further malice, threatening to sow the seeds of war. That was a fact.

Noticing that I had recognized this, Lucien continued.

Lucien: All those who bear a curse disrupts world order as they walk the path toward their inevitable destruction.

His words resonated deeply within me, carrying a weight as if he had witnessed that scene countless times.

Lucien: To minimize the impact, the sooner we draw the curtains to a close, the better.

Lucien: The shorter the time spent burning in the inferno, the less agony the cursed one must endure as they meet their doom.

(If their destruction is inevitable, is it better for the world if it happens sooner?)

(And would that spare the person themselves from suffering?)

Kate: You mean to say he should be killed right now…for the world’s sake and for his own?

Lucien: …..I appreciate your ability to understanding quickly.

[Answer: I don’t want to understand-+10]

Kate: I don’t want to understand.

Lucien: Whether you want to or not is irrelevant.

From a certain perspective, what he was saying might well be correct.

(But.)

(I refuse to accept that kind of correctness.)

After all, Will had resorted to evil in a desperate attempt to fix this hopeless world.

Who on earth has the right...to order him to die so soon, just for the sake of this world?

(Of course, I don’t want Will to suffer either. Even so….)

Will accepts and even loves that suffering, and lives his one and only life more freely than anyone else.

Kate: You have no right to bring his life to an end.

It happened instantly.

Before I knew it, a large palm clad in a black leather glove had seized my throat.

Lucien: This is not a right.

All light had vanished from Lucien's glacial-blue eyes.

Lucien: It’s a mission — imposed upon me by the countless corpses piled up in the shadows of history.

(…Mn.)

Fighting the urge to flinch, I glared back.

Had I not gritted my teeth, I felt as though I would have been crushed by some invisible, heavy pressure.

Lucien: A short while ago, William Rex escaped from his holding cell.

Kate: ….!

Lucien: He ferociously slaughtered the deputy commissioner with his sword, and then subdued the officers using his ability.

Lucien: They say the deputy commissioner’s carotid and stomach were slashed open. He died after suffering in agony.

I was left speechless.

Will was always meticulous, carrying out his plans with elegance.

Yet, there was only one reason I could imagine for him committing such a savage act.

[Flashback]

William: I wouldn't sacrifice myself. It would only sadden you.

William: However….I might just slaughter anyone who tries to take you away from me.

[Flashback Ends]

(Will..)

Even as my head grew ice-cold with the premonition of losing him, deep within my chest, my heart was pounding with a burning heat.

Sorrow, fear, ecstasy, and longing raged within me like a storm.

Lucien: That man will likely be here soon. To pass judgment on all who would harm you, and to set you free.

Lucien: The fate of bringing about one's own ruin through one's own ferocity cannot be changed.

Lucien: You wouldn't want the one you love to suffer, would you?

I gasped as Lucien’s hand tightened its grip on my throat.

(No…I mustn't hear his next words!)

Impulsively, I tried to cover my ears, but it was too late.

Lucien: Lead the one you love to his death.

The moment I heard those words, a high-pitched ringing pierced my ears, and my vision warped sickeningly.

(I have to... I have to stop it...!)

(This time, I... I...)

As my vision began to blur and fade, that gold knife, the one that should have been confiscated by the police, was held out before me.

Lucien: Drop the double bar line down on him yourself.

I watched as my own hand reached out to take it.

And instant later, my consciousness snapped.

[Transition to Libra HQ - Neu POV]

Amidst a storm that seemed intent on washing away the darkness blanketing London, the gates to Libra’s British headquarters quietly swung open.

A member, walking down the hallway to retire for the night, furrowed their brows upon spotting a silhouette illuminated by a flash of lightning.

Libra Member 1: Tch, who unlocked the front entrance?

Libra Member 1: Civilians are strictly forbidden from entering, especially at night... You'll get yourself killed by Lord Lucien.

Libra Member 1: Oy, you. I don't know who you are, but if you're looking for shelter from the rain, try another mansion.

Dripping with rainwater, the figure slowly advanced toward the member.

Libra Member 1: Oy! Didn’t you hear me? Stop right there.

Wet footsteps clacking across the floor echoed.

Wet silver hair glistened in the wavering candlelight, and in the moment he gasped at the eerie sight, the Libra member finally realised the truth…

The intruder was clutching a blood-ladened sword.

Libra Member 1: I-Intru….Gaah!!

No sooner had he shouted than the tip of the sword pierced his thigh.

The intruder, William Rex, looked down at the man screaming in agony with wide, blood-red eyes.

William: Surely you can scream louder than that?

William: I want a scream that wakes up everyone in this stronghold.

Libra Member 1: Nn…GUAAARRGGGH!!

William: Excellent.

Libra Member 2: Hands up!

William: Let’s see, how many do we have.….24?

William: Ethan's report said there should have been a few more, but...oh well.

William: Drop your weapons.

Libra Members: ?!!

The moment the command was given, firearms clattered to the floor.

The Libra members stared wide-eyed in shock at the man standing in the darkness.

Libra Member: Y-you’re William Rex!

William: Answer me!

William: Where is Lucien Mortcendre?

[Transitions to Libra Meeting Room - Will’s POV]

Libra Member: Urgh!

I pull my sword out of the Libra member, who is coughing up blood.

(This is the last one.)

(Not a single one has information on Lucien’s whereabouts?)

I had flushed out members from every corner of the hideout and interrogated them one after another.

A chill runs deep through my mind at the realisation that, despite painting every room red, I had gained absolutely nothing.

(To think he kept his movements so well hidden, even from his own people.)

Lucien Mortcendre.

A man who, like me, has devoted his life to his own convictions and walks a blood-stained road.

(You must have anticipated that I’d come here.)

(You want to kill me, don't you? Where did you go?)

Is Kate safe?

Every time thoughts of Kate crossed my mind, an unprecedented sense of agitation threatened to burn out my ability to think.

Just then, the sound of applause reverberated through the air, completely out place given the surroundings.

Darius: That was magnificent, William!

William: …..Darius?

Darius: Wow, look at you all covered in blood!

Darius: To single-handedly overpower everyone here and turn the place into a bloodbath…..And all for a personal vendetta!

Darius: That’s exactly how the Monarch of Self-Righteousness should be!

William: …. I thought the Vogel intended to stay out of this affair.

William: What are you doing here?

Darius: Obviously, I came to see you, now that you're closer to my ideal.

Smiling cheerfully, Darius spread his arms wide.

Darius: It always irked me. The way you used your power solely for the sake of others, and inferior beings, at that.

Darius: I wanted to see you wield that power more emotionally... more selfishly.

Darius: Just like you did tonight.

Darius: Honestly, it bothers me that it was that mere human who changed you this much.

Darius: ….But since that's the kind of person you are, William, I'll let you in on a little something.

Darius: While you were being held in custody, the Mortcendre family's private troops moved to attack the Rex estate.

William: …!

Darius: Your capable butler and those black-clad soldiers of yours are putting up a fight and have barricaded themselves inside the main estate...but it looks like the annex has already been overrun.

Darius: Perhaps that’s the stage Lucien prepared specifically for you?

William: …..Why are you telling me this?

Darius: Because Lucien Mortcendre stands in the way of my vision.

Darius narrowed his eyes, cold as a bird of prey’s, and stood up clasping his hands behind his back, peering intently  into mine.

Darius: I’m counting on you to finish him off.

Darius: I’ve always wanted him to just disappear.

Vogel is an organisation under direct command of the German Emperor.

Their reason for visiting England wasn’t merely to deepen diplomatic ties.

(To think that ambition of his would end up helping me like this...)

A soft chuckle escaped me.

My mind, now far calmer than moments ago, began to unravel the details of Lucien’s scheme.

(Kate’s alive.)

(If she were merely a pawn meant to provoke my rage, finding her a corpse wouldn't have been surprising, but that isn't the case.)

Had I been judged for anything other than the evil I embody, I would have accepted it willingly.

But, having met Kate and committed the sin of loving her...and knowing she is willing to risk her life to protect me—

I have no intention of meekly accepting any judgment.

(There is only one knife in this world I would accept. And that’s the one wielded by Kate alone.)

Lucien likely sees right through that.

(That is why Kate’s s being kept alive, as a pawn to kill me.)

William: Thank you for the valuable information.

Darius: My pleasure.

William: Whether I live up to your expectations, however, is another matter.

Darius: Hmm. My, you’re a selfish king, aren't you?

William: That’s what you love about me, isn't it?

Leaving Darius behind, his lips curled into a pleased smile, I walked out of the room and returned to the place where I once spent my days.

[Transitions to the Annex, Piano Room, Will’s POV]

I could hear the sound of a piano.

(I used to play the piano often in this place.)

A detached villa, shrouded in trees to keep it hidden from prying eyes, standing apart from the main Rex mansion.

It was the place where I spent my childhood, waiting until I could master the power that robbed me of my freedom.

The more I yearned for something, the more I drilled it into myself that speaking of it was forbidden.

William: …..Kate.

As I called her name, the music stopped abruptly. Silence enveloped the surroundings.

As she rose unsteadily, her head jerked unnaturally, like that of a marionette.

And her eyes, vacant as a lifeless husk, fixed upon me.

William: Let’s go home, Kate.

William: I haven't yet introduced you to the people who might sponsor the children’s home.

Kate: None of that matters anymore.

Her voice, as hollow as a corpse’s, replied coldly.

Knowing those words did not reflect her true feelings made it all the more painful.

Seeing her turned into a tool for my sake, forced to utter such things.

I felt such pity for her, and such deep affection, that my heart felt as though it were being torn apart.

William: That's a shame. I’d even been thinking of a name for the place.

Kate: I suppose that’s all gone to waste now.

Kate let out a low, guttural laugh and slowly rose from the piano stool.

Kate: You’re covered in blood, Will.

Kate: And yet, you missed the perfect chance to be judged as a great villain.

Kate: All for the sake of something as selfish as love.….

Kate: Just how many people have you killed to save me?

Step by step, she drew closer, clad in the very same dress she had worn that day when she gazed anxiously into the shop window as she wondered if her voice would truly reach its listeners.

All while the voice of her own heart remained suppressed.

I hope she cannot hear the words that are being forced out against her will.

For surely, she would be inconsolably grieved to know she had hurled such remarks at me.

William: Well, let's see.….how many was it?

William: You know, I lost my head in the rage of having you taken from me, that I don't quite remember.

Kate: That’s the kind of person you are... and because of that I…

Kate: I was robbed of my freedom.….and turned into a puppet.

Could also be rendered as doll, but since William stated she moved like a marionette, I opted for puppet.

William: ….Yes you were, it’s all my fault.

I love Kate.

I love her will, her freedom, and her heart.

Even knowing that being by my side would only bring her pain, I loved her desire to be with me.

That was my sin.

(This pain is the punishment for the sin of loving her.)

(It’s the suffering I deserve to endure.)

Kate: Yes, it’s all your fault.

With a smile, Kate raised her right hand to my chest.

In that hand, the golden knife I had given her on the night we first met…it glimmered faintly.

Kate: So Will, just a fate dictates…right here and now…

The moment she pressed the tip of the blade against my heart, her movements creaked to a halt.

Kate: Right here….and….n-now……

(Kate….?)

[Transitions to Kate POV, When Will Arrives at the Villa]

Despite my consciousness being engulfed by darkness, my sense of hearing returned.

William’s Voice: Let’s go home, Kate.

William’s Voice: I haven't yet introduced you to the people who might sponsor the children’s home.

(….Will?)

Kate’s Voice: None of that matters anymore.

(Is that….my voice?)

My voice sounded muffled, as if coming from the other side of a closed door.

Kate’s Voice: All for the sake of something as selfish as love.….

Kate’s Voice: Just how many people have you killed to save me?

(S-stop... I don't want to say things like that to him.)

Kate’s Voice: That’s the kind of person you are... and because of that I…

(No, Will. Don’t listen!)

Kate’s Voice: I was robbed of my freedom.….and turned into a puppet.

(No... no, no, no!)

Those insults were surely true.

Weighing lives against one another.

Taking someone's freedom forever for a self-righteous purpose.

That undeniable sin has brought us to this place.

(Even so... the words I ought to speak are different...!)

My hands exist not to hurl righteous accusations at Will, but to cover his ears.

My body exists not to condemn him, but to shield him from the knife of justice aimed his way.

(Even if everyone in the world….)

(Even if fate itself sentenced him to death….At least I would….)

A high-pitched ringing pierced my ears, and suddenly, my field of vision cleared.

(Will!)

The tip of the golden knife gripped in my hand it was close enough for it to be sheathed in Will’s heart.

Even though I was the one who had hurled abuses at him, he gazed at me with eyes as gentle as a spring rain, like I were the one hurt by those very words.

I realised then. I’m simply, deeply loved by him.

In that moment, though my body remained completely motionless, tears welled up and streamed down my rigid cheeks.

(I’m so sorry, Will.)

(I….)

Even knowing that my pain causes you suffering, I want to protect you, even if it means getting hurt myself.

Even if it draws you closer to a fated destruction, I want to stay by your side.

(Because I….)

Kate: So Will, just a fate dictates…right here and now…

(Because I still...)

Kate: Right here….and….n-now……

(I still….)

(I want to go on loving you.)

The instant my heart cried out that selfish desire, my subdued body suddenly jerked into motion—

Kate: Ngh!!

And I found myself gripping the blade of the knife tightly.

[Switches Back to Will’s POV]

The moment an uncontrollable surge of passion welled up deep within Kate’s previously vacant eyes—

Kate: Ngh!!

Her palm closed around the knife's blade, and scarlet blood began to drip down.

William: ….Kate.

What name could I give to the emotion that seized my entire being the instant I saw that?

Anguish over her being hurt?

(No, it wasn't anything so pure.)

[Flashback]

William: Punishment involves pain, Victor.

William: And it’s something only Kate can inflict upon me.

[Flashback ends]

It was not the anguish, sorrow, anger, or even despair I had steeled myself to face.

(This is…)

...It was ecstasy. Stained in the red meant only for me. Struggling even as your will is crushed.

(Your will... your freedom...)

(Your red... is so beautiful, it’s heartbreaking.)

[Flashback]

Ethan: Sins are met with punishment. Punishment is painful. That’s the simple truth, and yet…

Ethan: I find myself wishing that, just for you, there might be a moment when punishment ceases to be punishment.

[Flashback Ends]

I felt as though I finally understood the meaning of Ethan's words from back then.

Simply being loved deeply.

That single fact has the power to wash away any pain.

I gently touch the hand with which Kate is clutching the knife.

Doing it to reach Kate’s heart, a heart that’s screaming from behind a locked door.

(I hear it clearly…the cry of your heart.)

No matter how fervent my wish, it was something that must never be voiced if it meant robbing another of their freedom.

But now….

(Kate, the voice of your heart is telling me...)

That it’s okay to voice it.

William: ….You’re right, Kate.

William: It’s far too soon to reach the double bar line.

Even if we must stain ourselves with blood and sin for each other's sake in the future...and sink even deeper into the abyss of darkness than we are now.

William: Kate….live with me.

[Sequel Master] [Chapter XI]

I loved this chapter so much! Will finally speaking his desire was everything! Of course, Lucien's reaction to the MC calling his actions a "right" were interesting. Almost as if he were offended by statement. Interestingly, the kanji used in his reply carries the connotation of being "imposed upon, forced, inflicted". My question is that is it an imposition placed upon him by his curse, or is it a self-inflicted mission? How much of his actions are his choice or not? Then again, is it truly an affliction? The smile when he gave the command to end Will's life seems to characteristically scream the demon of his fairytale curse.

Zane: Eat this.

Kate: No, thanks.

I turned my face away from the bread and stew arranged on the silver tray.

Still holding the silver tray out toward me, Zane clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Kate: Where am I?

Zane: Shut your mouth.

Kate: Why - Am - I - Here?

Zane: Shit, your annoying. I said to shut your mouth.

Kate: Where’s William Rex?

Zane: Hah? The hell should I know?

(I’m not getting anywhere with him.)

If I remember correctly, Zane is a member of Libra.

And a highly skilled assassin, so skilled that Victor tried to recruit him into Crown.

(I don’t remember anything after waiting for Will while looking at the shop window.)

(If I lost my memory again….did he take advantage of that lapse and abduct me?)

But the idea of being abducted while I was with Will is unthinkable, unless something truly extraordinary happened.

I’ve been through countless missions by Will's side, and just as he swore he would, he has always protected me using every means at his disposal.

(Has Will been harmed….?)

Zane: …..Listen, I don’t give damn if you starve and drop dead.

Zane: But my boss’s a pain in the ass. So eat.

He thrust the silver tray at me again, but I refused it by remaining silent as I sat on the bed.

Just then, the door to the room opened...

Kate: I-It's you…..

[Flashback]

Kate: If you plan to harm Will, you’ll have to get through me first.

Lucien: ……….

Lucien: I see. A useful pawn, then.

[Flashback Ends]

Lucien: Has she eaten?

Zane: Are you blind? Clearly she hasn’t.

After that brief exchange with Zane, a pair of cold, icy-blue eyes turned toward me.

Kate: Where’s William? Why am I here?

Lucien: You’re here because you’ve fulfilled your function.

(My function….)

Lucien: William Rex took the blame for your crime of slashing Bryan Bennett with a knife, and he’s been arrested.

Kate: ……….What?

Lucien: He’s being investigated for other offenses as well, and is slated to be executed soon for the high treason against the country.

(I…harmed Bryan? …Execution?)

Kate: Th-that's a lie... I have no memory of any such thing...

Lucien: ……

Lucien: If that man meets his ruin, I will set you free unharmed. Until then, behave yourself.

(His ruin…?)

At that remark, a bolt of red surged through my vision, and I found myself closing in on Lucien.

Kate: What do you plan to do to Will...!

Lucien: It’s already over. There’s nothing to be done.

(Over?)

The blood drained from my face. I felt dizzy and nearly stumbled, barely managing to steady myself.

(Does that mean he had already orchestrated a situation that would lead to Will's downfall?)

A sickening premonition made my breathing shallow, and the more I thought about it, the louder the ringing in my ears became.

(Is my presence here also part of the plan?)

(Is it true that I attacked Bryan with a knife?)

(Damn it... every time I try to remember what happened back then, my head...!)

The high-pitched ringing in my ears reached a crescendo, and my head throbbed as if it were splitting apart.

SNAP!

My vision went black, like an overheated filament burning out.

Kate: Ngh….

Immediately, a deluge of memories suddenly drowned me.

[Flashback]

(That’s right…back then.)

(Just as I was going to check on Bryan and Will, I noticed something.)

I realised that Lucien was standing right beside me.

Kate: Do you need something from me?

Lucien: It’s time to use my pawn.

Kate: Pawn…?

Lucien: Yes. The groundwork’s already been laid.

Lucien: All that’s left.…is for you to dance.

(And the second he whispered those words to me….my consciousness was swallowed up.)

[Flashback Ends]

Kate: Ugh…!!

I clutch my hair tightly, trying to withstand the splitting headache.

Kate: You….were you manipulating me…all along!!?

Lucien: ………

Lucien: ….Now this is a rarity.

Lucien: There aren't many people who can retain their sense of self while under the influence of my ability.

Lucien: It makes sense now why my ability wasn't affecting you properly at the start.

Kate: …At the start?

(Of course. If he’s the reason I lost my memories...)

(Then this isn’t the first time.)

[Flashback ]

William: I'll go ask an attendant to get us a tea basket.

Kate: Thank you!

(The first time…right.)

(In the compartment. It happened when I heard the door open….)

Kate: Huh…?

[Flashback Ends]

Kate: …..Lucien.

Kate: From the beginning…it was you, not the symptoms from my head injury.

Lucien: I had anticipated you would assume that.

Kate: You…!

[Flashback]

Bryan: Are you feeling all r— Aghk!?

Passerby: KYAAAAH!!!

William: Kate!

Kate: ….Let go of me.

Kate: Why are you stopping me?

Kate: This is the knife you gave to me…isn’t it, Will?

[Flashback Ends]

Kate: You...did something like that to me!?

In the fragments of memory returning to me, Will wore an expression I had never seen before.

My heart felt like it would burst at the sight of his face twisted in anguish, and driven by a surge of turbulent emotion, I lunged at Lucien.

Kate: Mm!

But the words of reproach were anchored in my throat.

Even though I understood there was nothing I could have done, and even though I knew the cause was the very person standing before me; an overwhelming wave of guilt coiled around my throat, leaving me unable to speak.

(I was the one who drove Will into this desperate situation.)

(With the very knife meant to protect him.)

Tears dripped down my cheeks.

Without a change in expression, Lucien easily pried my hand away.

Lucien: All escape points are blocked. Don’t waste your time.

Lucien: Zane, we’re leaving.

Zane: Tch….

Kate: W-wait….wait!!

[Answer: Let me save Will - +10]

Kate: Let me out! Let me save Will!

Kate: I have to go! I have to…!

(Even if the whole world turned against Will, I would be the one to stand by his side….)

(To be the knight who saves him…)

(To protect him from his doomed destiny, even if it cost me my life... that was the oath I made.)

No matter how many times my fists pounded the door, it wouldn't budge. So I slumped to the floor, defeated.

What if... the harder I try to protect him, the closer I bring Will to his ruin?

The anxiety I had tried to ignore came crashing down on me all at once, threatening to swallow me whole along with the darkness.

The sound of my heart creaking as if about to crack mingled with the heavy rain lashing against the window, playing a terrible, discordant melody.

[Transitions to Prison - Neu POV]

William Rex was held captive in a detention center in London.

His eyes were covered with a black cloth, and his hands were handcuffed behind his back.

Just as the faint sound of rain began to echo from beyond the thick walls, a man appeared on the other side of the iron bars enclosing him.

William: It’s a pleasure to meet you Deputy Commissioner Harrow.

DC Harrow: ….Urk!?

Harrow was momentarily unsettled to be addressed by name, when he hadn’t introduced himself to someone who isn’t supposed to be able to see.

Yet, he quickly regained his composure, twisting his mouth that was obscured by a thick beard, into a smile.

DC Harrow: Hmph…to think you'd maintain such a nonchalant attitude while in custody.

DC Harrow: I suppose that’s to be expected of a shameless monster who deceives the world.

DC Harrow: Though, even a monster like you is rendered helpless once your abilities are sealed.

William: Was it you who ordered this measure?

DC Harrow: Yes, it was. Take away your sight or your voice, and you pose no threat.

DC Harrow: After all, I was the one who reported the facts we uncovered at the Tower of London to Lord Grimsley. Surprised? Hmm?

William: ……

Harrow clicked his tongue softly, then raised his ebony cane that was topped with a silver head, and struck the iron bars. The clanging echoed much like a judge delivering a verdict.

DC Harrow: The time has finally come to put you on trial.

DC Harrow: Once your conviction for high treason is finalized, both Her Majesty and the public will surely acknowledge my reinstatement.

William slowly rose from the chair where he had been seated.

Mistaking this for a sign of agitation, a look of glee appeared in Harrow's eyes.

DC Harrow: Haha! So even a monstrous freak fears being slayed does it?

As William slowly walked toward the iron bars, Harrow stepped forward as if drawn in.

DC Harrow: My conscience as an official recoils at the thought of framing someone...

DC Harrow: But to pass judgment on evil, sometimes one must dirty one's hands.

William: Does that include imprisoning innocent citizens in the Tower of London and torturing them until their bones snapped?

DC Harrow: Hahahaha!!

Stepping in until he was mere inches away, Harrow unleashed a dry, raucous laugh.

DC Harrow: I’ll grant you that the methods were heavy-handed and disregarded the rights of the citizenry.

DC Harrow: But it was a necessary measure to exterminate a noxious monster like you.

DC Harrow: It was.…unavoidable.

[Screen Jolts]

The moment he whispered those goading words, William slammed his head against the bars of the cell.

DC Harrow: Hah, have you lost your bloody mind? Wha—

He thought the bizarre behavior was merely induced by agitation, but Harrow’s sneer instantly froze over.

The blindfold, having been scraped off violently by the iron bars, slid down.

Revealing a pair blood red eyes staring straight at him.

William: Shut your mouth.

DC Harrow: Gnn…

William: Unlock the cell and remove the handcuffs.

DC Harrow: Mmm... Mmmph!

With his mouth gagged, Harrow unlocked the cell and twisted the key into the keyhole of the cuffs.

His face, previously flushed a dark, angry red from the forced compliance, had turned deathly pale with fear by the time the restraints clattered to the floor.

William: Kneel.

William strolled out of the cell and drew a longsword from the rack where confiscated weapons were stored.

With the elegant echoing of his shoes, he sat back down in the chair at the center of the room, and slowly drew the blade from its scabbard.

William: I have some questions for you, Deputy Commissioner.

William: You will answer all of my questions.

DC Harrow:  Gah! Hah... haah…W-what are you...

William: Did you instigate the serial assassinations and the Avarus’ family’s plot to overthrow the country, just to frame me and exact revenge?

DC Harrow: Nnnn d-damn it, my mouth is moving on its own…!

DC Harrow: The plan to incite a war by capitalizing on the mass assassination incident was something Avarus had concocted from the very beginning!

DC Harrow: I merely struck a deal with Avarus to exploit that situation.

DC Harrow: I promised to turn a blind eye to the plot if he stayed quiet and let you be convicted of Avarus' crimes...!

William: So, if it meant getting revenge on me and regaining your own standing, you were willing to let someone who wished for Britain's collapse go free?

William: And you didn't care if Avarus actually started a war once you were back in power?

DC Harrow: T-that's right. Some of the House of Lords and the military brass actually welcomed it...!

William: You, and those who let you run wild for their own selfish gain without keeping you in check…

William: …Have quite the remarkable sense of justice.

William rose from his chair, and used the tip of his sword to lift the chin of the kneeling Harrow.

William: Now for the next question.

William: A woman was used as a pawn to capture me….Did you know about that?

The freezing point of murderous bloodlust was pressed against his throat.

Only then did Harrow realize.

That the man, who had appeared so composed and unbothered...had been seething with rage from the very beginning.

DC Harrow: I... I didn't know... about that part...! B-but...

DC Harrow: A letter had arrived stating, 'We will create the opportunity to hold William Rex to accountable'!

DC Harrow: It bore the same seal of as the letter that tipped me off about Avarus' plot...a seal with scales!

William: …….

Having confessed everything, Harrow’s throat rasped with ragged, shallow breaths.

William: I’m afraid, Deputy Commissioner, that I’m the one who will be handing down the verdict.

William: You were complicit in the trampling of my Kate’s freedom.

William: Therefore, in accordance with my own law...

William: I sentence you to death.

DC Harrow: KEUGH!!!

A blade slashed through the artery in his neck, and a scream pierced the darkness of the night.

DC Harrow: I-if you kill me... you'll never be able to prove... your innocence...!

William: I couldn’t give a damn.

A tad creative liberty on my part. He doesn't curse.

William: Not if it means I can punish the man who violated the one I love.

William: I would gladly accept the punishment.

As a crimson stained the night, William plunged his sword into Harrow’s abdomen and savagely tore it open.

DC Harrow: GUAARRRGH!

Hearing the scream, an officer rushed to the scene and gasped at the gruesome spectacle.

Officer: What’s going on?! What’s this—

William withdrew his blade and stood up, ignoring Harrow as he collapsed onto the floor.

He fixed his gaze upon the officers and issued a command.

William: Everyone kneel where you stand and clear a path.

The officers parted to the left and right, dropping to their knees.

Officer: You….where do you think you’re going..?!

William: Naturally…to rescue my beloved that I must protect my any means necessary.

[Transitions to Victor’s office - Victor POV]

William escaped after brutally killing the  Deputy Commissioner.

News of this reached me swiftly, secretly.

Victor: ….Brutally slayed with a sword, hm?

(Oh, that William.)

No matter how consumed by rage he might be, there is no way he failed to view his own situation objectively.

He committed the crime knowing full well that the circumstantial evidence would cast suspicion upon him.

He did it to mete out punishment to the person who had harmed his one and only beloved.

To put it bluntly, he’s snapped. Will has completely lost it.

It’s the first time I have ever seen him like this.

And, however out of place it might have been, I found myself trembling.

(I suppose I’m a pretty twisted soul myself.)

Victor: For a king who stood so aloof, finding someone irreplaceable….

Victor: I can’t help but feel incredibly happy for you.

Violent rain lashed against the windows, and lightning flashed white across the storm clouds.

As if blessing a king who was sinking ever deeper into darkness.

[Transitions to Kate’s POV]

From the depths of the darkness, where raindrops dripped, a voice called out to me.

Singing in an elegant melody.

'Come here, come here.'

‘Why are you huddled there?’

‘Quickly, Quickly.’

‘Before the final bar line severs his head!’

Premium Story: Ardito

I wonder which night it was.

Kate: La-la-la-la-la-la

Snuggled together in bed beneath the same sheet, we made our fingers dance, treating our thighs pressed against one another through the fabric as if they were piano keys.

Languid fingers played Liebesträume upon skin still lingering with the afterglow of our lovemaking.

William: Und sorge, daß dein Herze glüht…

William: Und Liebe hegt und Liebe trägt….

William: ..There aren't enough keys, are there?

Kate: This will do.

As I let my fingertips trail all the way up onto Will’s thigh, a low chuckle rumbled deep in his throat.

And his fingers, too, began to dance lightly across my thigh.

These playful moments with Will, amidst our intense time together, are my absolute favorite things.

Kate: So lang ihm noch ein ander Herz.

Kate: In Liebe warm entgegenschlägt….

William: Und wer dir seine Brust erschließt, O tu ihm, was u kannst, zulieb....

William: Und mach ihm jede Stunde froh, Und mach ihm keine Stunde trüb….

As we playfully mingled our hushed laughter with gentle singing, Will suddenly stopped his fingers and murmured softly.

William: …I wonder if I’m filling your time with happiness.

His voice held a rare, faint note of uncertainty, so I stopped tapping the keys on my thigh and gently interlaced my fingers with his.

Kate: Of course you are, Will.

Kate: I’m happy.….I feel so fulfilled...to the point where I find myself wishing for this to last forever.

Kate: …How about you? Am I truly fulfilling you?

William: …. What do you think?

Kate: Oh, come on...Will?

William: Haha, I’m only kidding.

William: …Of course, Kate. You fill my heart completely.

William: To the point where, if you were gone, I wouldn't be myself anymore.

Our lips met, and the kiss quickly deepened.

Kate: Hah…Will…

Rubbing my thighs together, I grew wet with anticipation.

With a sheer look of pleasure, Will loomed over me once more.

William: …Again?

Kate: Mm…yes, please.

Just as I nodded, he took my nipple into his mouth, and sank his fingers between my bare thighs.

Kate: Ah….Will..

William: Hmm?

When I held back his hand, Will looked up at me from my chest, his gaze meeting mine.

I could feel my face heating up as I stared into his eyes.

Kate: I'm still soft inside, so... um... I think it'll go in now.

William: ……..

Kate: So...ah!

Will froze for a split second, then firmly lifted my hips and positioned his heated tip against my slick, yielding heat.

Slowly, almost as if making a show of it, yet mercilessly, he thrust all the way inside.

William: Haah…..

Kate: Mm…ah….ahh….

William: You certainly know how to beg to be filled up, don't you?

His whisper, filled with affection for my uninhibited desire, stoked the fire spreading through my body.

Kate: It’s because…you look so happy when I do it…

William: Yes, I suppose so... It's all my fault.

William: That you're so good at begging... and that you're craving it this much.

Kate: Ahhhh!

William: It excites me, knowing that it’s all my fault.

My body, sensitized by our lovemaking, sends out sweet, tingling shivers with every electrifying stroke.

But far more than that pleasure, the sound of Will’s ragged breathing and sweet voice filling my ears stirs something deep within my heart.

And wanting him to feel just as fulfilled, I find myself rocking my hips against him of my own accord.

Kate: Will, Will…I’m….

William: I know, Kate…me too….

Violently shaken, the pleasure swells and bursts, and in that same moment, his heat floods into me.

I feel so much love, happiness, and fulfillment.

Every time we make love, I can’t help but make this wish.

(May this golden, shimmering moment last forever.)

(May it not vanish like a fleeting dream.)

William: Kate…..

Answering the voice that calls my name, I hold him tight.

And without warning, my body is instantly plunged into darkness.

(Huh…?)

Before I knew it, I was alone, playing the piano in a gloomy darkness.

(Wait... Is this a dream...?)

(Or was what I was experiencing before the dream...?)

I feel like I was sharing a loving bond with someone just moments ago, yet it also feels like a memory from the distant past.

Despite my mind feeling clouded with fog, my fingers are quickly playing Mozart’s ‘Ah, vous dirai-je, maman’, K. 265.

Suddenly, I felt a light tap. When I looked down, I saw a young girl clinging to my knee.

(Who could this be…?)

Little Girl: You know how to play the piano?

Kate: Yes, I started practicing when I met someone special.

Little Girl: Ohh.

Kate: Do you want to play, too?

Little Girl: ....I don't think I can.

She looked down, her expression lacking confidence, and for some reason, I couldn't just sit idly by.

Kate: Want to give it a try?

Little Girl: Is that okay?

I stopped playing and lifted her up onto my lap.

Her small fingertips tentatively touched the keys, and when she pressed down, a clear note rang out.

Little Girl: Wow…!

Her eyes sparkled with delight. When I taught her a simple melody, she memorized it instantly and began to play happily.

(Hehe, I'm so glad.)

I reached out to play an accompaniment for her—

Kate: Huh.….the tone is different from before.

(It's out of tune.)

Aren’t you interested in hearing Liebesträume on a dissonant piano?

[Screen flashes white then back to black]

A whispered voice suddenly came back to me causing the fog in my mind to lift, and my thoughts to instantly clear.

(Will.)

My heart went cold, and my fingers stopped moving.

Little Girl: What’s wrong, Miss?

[Flashback]

Lucien: William Rex took the blame for your crime of slashing Bryan Bennett with a knife, and he’s been arrested

Lucien: He’s being investigated for other offenses as well, and is slated to be executed soon for the high treason against the country.

Lucien: If that man meets his ruin, I will set you free unharmed. Until then, behave yourself.

[Flashback Ends]

Kate: …. Someone precious to me is in serious trouble.

Little Girl: Then you have to go save them!

(That's right—I have to go save him.)

(But…)

Kate: But what if trying to protect him just ends up causing Will even more suffering?

Kate: Or what if the situation was already beyond repair before I even got involved...?

Kate: What if I was the one who triggered Will's downfall...?

Kate: The thought of it makes me freeze with fear.

Tears come spilling down

Little Girl: You really are a crybaby, Miss.

The girl smiled and wrapped her small hands around mine.

Little Girl: Just like me.

That was when I finally got a good look at the girl's face. Such a familiar face...

(Me….when I was little?)

Little Girl: You know, if you have the will, there's nothing you can't do.

Little Girl: After all, I couldn't even touch a piano before, but now I can play so beautifully.

She squeezed my hand tightly.

(This is...)

(The voice of my own heart.)

Little Girl: So, let's stop cowering like this. It's not like you at all.

(It's my own will.)

Kate: …. Before the final bar line closes in around his neck.

Little Girl: That's right….It’s time to wake up!

Before I knew it, the small girl's hand holding mine transformed into a large palm and a gaze as gentle as a spring rain was fixed upon me.

William: Your heart will tell you what you wish to do.

[Screen Jolts]

I startled awake to find myself huddled in front of the door.

It seemed I had fallen asleep, exhausted from crying.

Outside the window, the storm was gathering strength, and lightning occasionally bathed the clouds in white.

Glancing around the room, I saw the meal that had gone completely cold.

Kate: ...I need to eat.

I took a bite of the bread, which had already gone stale.

It threatened to stick in my parched throat, but I managed to wash it down with the cold soup.

Kate: [Sniffle]…hic…hmn…

I made no attempt to hold back the tears welling up inside me.

After all, Will would never tell me not to cry.

(These tears are proof that my heart is crying out, telling me it’s hurting.)

(The fact that I’m hurting...is proof that I know what truly matters to me.)

Kate: Eat up. Pull yourself together, Kate.

So that when the final moment comes—the moment the final bar line threatens to sever his head…

I can be standing right there beside him.

So that I can protect the one I love.

(After all, I am Will's knight.)

[Sequel Master] [Chapter X]

Sorry, but I imagine a bloodied William after he bangs his head into the cell. Hot asf! But also, the fact that he killed the DC himself sent me! No ability. Just plain old fashion murd3r.

[Kate POV]

If life were a fairy tale, what lies beyond the “And they lived happily ever after”?

Everyone knows that such a thing exists only in fiction.

Good and evil, life and death, love and hate, happiness and sorrow—

The balance between them can crumble in the blink of an eye.

With our impending meeting with Lesli Avarus only three days away, Will and I made our way to the Mad Tea Party.

Will had suggested we use the gathering to seek out potential benefactors for the children’s home.

London was in the midst of the social season, and the streets were teeming with people clad in glamorous gowns.

(Gosh, I’m starting to get nervous...!)

Every time I passed a shop window, I found myself checking my reflection.

That was when I caught Will's eye in the glass.

(...He looks as handsome as always.)

Kate: Will….

William: Hm?

Kate: You have this certain magnetism about you.

William: Oh?….I think I’d like to hear more, please continue.

Kate: Your perfect posture, your elegant and refined movements, the way you stand so confidently….

Kate: It’s like you have this magnetic aura that makes you seem unapproachable, yet you can’t look away.

Kate: I mean, just by standing there, you capture people's hearts, making them want to confide their secrets in you.

Kate: And at the same time, you possess a charm that makes others want to unravel your secrets.

Kate: That’s why your words always resonate so deeply within me.

William: Thank you. It feels wonderful being wooed by you.

William: But….aren’t those are the things you feel you lack?

Kate: What?!

William: You’re that worried no one will listen to you when you try to gain supporters.

(H-How did he know?!)

William: It’s written right here.

Will’s fingertip lightly taps the tip of my nose as my eyes go wide.

He smiles, his eyes crinkling softly, and I mentally wave a white flag of surrender.

Kate: ….You see right through me, Will.

I glance at my appearance once more, from my chest to my toes, take a deep breath and then lift my gaze.

Kate: How do I look?

William: ….Well now, let’s see.

Held fast by his crimson gaze, my heart begins to races nervously.

(Wait, come to think of it…)

(I don’t think I’ve ever asked Will what he thinks of my appearance.)

The realisation makes me nervous in a whole new way, and my heartbeat grows louder and faster.

Just as I’m feeling the suspense of awaiting a verdict, Will slowly tilts his head and smiles.

William: You look like the most adorable girlfriend imaginable.

Kate: Oh seriously, Will?

William: Haha, sorry. Of course, I meant that sincerely, but….

William: It’s going to be fine, Kate.

Stepping around behind me, Will wraps his arms around me in an embrace, then gently touches my chin, guiding me to look at our reflections in the shop window.

William: Those thoughtful eyes convey sincerity and nobility.

William: That voice, honest about its desires, speaks of firm will and intelligence.

William: And those limbs that move without fear of pain, make the observer feel both kindness and strength...

Tracing my reflection in the glass, his blood red stare moves from my eyes to my lips and then all over my body as Will whispers in my ear.

William: Above all.…in all my life, Kate, there has never been anyone who captivated me quite like you.

William: Even setting aside a boyfriend’s bias, I think you have every right to be proud of yourself.

Every word he pours out seems to set my whole body ablaze.

William: Kate…?

Kate: …I'm sorry, um…

Kate: I'm so happy I feel like screaming... so... please, just give me a moment.

William: …….

William: ….Oh?

When I reflexively press the back of my hand to my lips and look away, his hand follows, almost reproachfully, and interlaces its fingers with mine.

William: I see that bad habit of yours of trying to hide your true feelings is still alive and well.

William: Would appear I’ve got to keep a tight grip on you... so you can't hide them.

Kate: That’s….

William: You were the one who asked for it, you know. Don't you remember?

Kate: O-oh, of course, I remember……

(After all, it was the morning after I first shared my body with Will.)

Back then, even when we held hands, Will felt somehow distant.

I remember it so well. The bewilderment I felt as I changed, and the desperate impatience born of wanting to be special to him, wanting so badly to love him.

(It’s different now.)

(I’m standing right here beside him.)

The words of praise and encouragement directed at me made me stand tall.

Kate: ….Thank you, Will.

William: You’re welcome…But words of gratitude would suffice only for others.

Kate: ?

William: But since it’s you…I think I’ll ask for a kiss instead.

(…!)

Kate: Oh…yes, of course, I’d love to.

Thrilled by yet another moment of feeling special to him, I pressed my lips against his.

We shared a light kiss before pulling away. When our gazes locked, Will’s eyes held an incredibly sweet warmth.

Just then—

???: I’m surprised to see you doing something so bold, Kate.

Hearing a familiar, rugged voice, I spun around instantly.

Kate: Bryan!

Bryan: Sorry to interrupt.

Bryan Bennett, the former freelance reporter who now served as editor-in-chief of a rising paper, shrugged casually toward Will.

William: That’s fine. Kate acting boldly in public isn’t exactly surprising these days.

Kate: W-Will...!

Bryan: I see. So, Lord Rex has turned you into quite the naughty girl, then.

Kate: Come on. Not you too , Bryan…!

Bryan had once written an article that, unbeknownst to him at the time, aided a plot to frame Will.

That article had triggered the Tower of London incident, dragging innocent civilians into the scheme.

But after the affair was over, he wrote a piece clearing Will’s name.

He’s a passionate journalist who strives to uphold his own sense of justice.

I haven't told Bryan about the existence of Crown, but since he witnessed Will kill Marquis Avarus, he surely has some idea of what Will is doing.

When I once asked him why he kept quiet instead of leaking the information, his answer was simply, “Because that’s what justice means to me.”

(I’m so glad the two of them can laugh and talk together like this again.)

Bryan: Actually, I didn’t interrupt just to get in the way.

Bryan: There’s something I wanted to mention to Lord Rex before the tea party begins.

He cast a concerned glance my way, and I was struck with realisation.

(I guess this isn’t something he wants me to hear.)

Kate: I'll just be looking at the shop window over there.

Bryan: Ah, sorry….and thanks.

[William’s POV]

I watch her back as she walks away, her long hair swaying.

After seeing her stop in front of a nearby shop bustling with people, I turn back to Bryan.

William: So, what did you want to discuss?

Bryan: Right. I’ll keep it brief. Do you know Benedict Harrow?

William: ….Ah, of course. The former Deputy Commissioner who was in league with Grimsley, right?

[Flashback]

William: Now, Inspector.

Police Inspector: N-no! I don’t care which of you does it, someone seize that man!

William: Ahaha! There's no need to be so frightened! I just want to have a little chat. Tell me who gave you the orders to do this.

Police Inspector: Th-the Deputy Commissioner! Damn it!

[Flashback Ends]

In the past, innocent citizens had been imprisoned and tortured at the Tower of London.

It was Deputy Commissioner Harrow who had orchestrated that operation.

William: He fell from grace and is living in retirement now, but I hear he still wields considerable influence within the police force.

Bryan: Yeah, but word has it that former DC Harrow has returned to London from his retirement home in Hertfordshire.

Bryan: Someone reportedly saw him entering the mansion in Bloomsbury.

Bryan: It may not necessarily be connected to you, Lord Rex, but I thought it was worth letting you know.

William: ….Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.

Bryan: That’s all from me. Well then.…see you at the tea party later.

Just as Bryan was about to leave, he stopped and looked behind me.

Bryan: Kate?

(Kate?)

As I turned around, her hair fluttered past my field of vision, and a glint of gold caught my eye.

Bryan: Are you feeling all r— Aghk!?

Brian groaned and clutched his arm, fresh blood oozed between his fingers.

A golden knife, stained in that same red, was gripped in Kate’s hand.

Passerby: KYAAAAH!!!

With the screams of passersby behind us, Kate raised the knife once more.

William: Kate!

Instantly, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her into an embrace to restrain her.

Kate: ….Let go of me.

Kate: Why are you stopping me?

Kate: This is the knife you gave to me…isn’t it, Will?

Vacant eyes, a cold tone, rigid limbs.

Each tells me the same thing.

(This isn’t of her own volition.)

Amidst the screams of citizens, I hear police officers shouting for a path to be cleared.

William: Kate, drop the knife….!

I interlaced my fingers with hers, clenched as tightly as they were, and pried them loose.

The moment the knife clattered to the ground, police officers who had drawn their guns surrounded us.

Armed Policeman: We got a report of a woman slashing someone! Was it you?!

(Don’t you dare point your guns at Kate.)

Seeing their weapons aimed at her made the blood rush to my head.

I covered Kate’s mouth to silence her and, keeping a firm grip on her wrist, turned to face the officers.

William: I did it, she has nothing to do with this.

Bryan: Lord Rex!

I glanced at Bryan, who had gasped in shock.

(I’m sorry, but don’t say a word.)

I could never allow Kate to be judged for a crime committed against her will.

Bryan’s eyes widened, but he kept silent.

Armed Policeman: Release the woman and put your hands up!

The moment I released Kate as ordered, another officer restrained me from behind

That was when I spotted him in the crowd gathering around the commotion.

(So…it was you, after all.)

(Lucien Mortcendre.)

I had a bad feeling about this—

A feeling that her condition wasn't merely some aftereffect, that memory loss and abnormal behavior she wasn’t even aware of.

What if, those symptoms which so closely resemble an illness, were caused by a cursed ability?

[Offscreen Flashback]

Victor: About his ability. Ever since we first detected his and his household’s presence...

Take this line about his household with a grain of salt. 彼の家: It could be rendered his house/household/family. I chose household to keep it broader in meaning.

Victor: …We have been investigating continuously, yet we haven't obtained any concrete information.

Victor: This lack of information is.…..well, it's highly unusual.

Victor: It goes far beyond mere proficiency in covering things up.

Victor: There is undoubtedly something going on behind the scenes of Libra.

Victor: Something that been ceaselessly unfolding in the shadows of history, without anyone noticing.

[Transitions to Convo with Ethan]

Ethan: It seems that Lord Lucien Mortcendre is rarely present at headquarters.

Ethan: We checked the passenger records for the train that you and Lady Kate took, as well as the guest logs for the hotels where you stayed...

Ethan: But his name didn’t appear anywhere, and we’ve been unable to confirm his whereabouts.

[Flashbacks End]

Armed Policeman: Seize the weapon and protect the victims!

Young Policeman: Hey! Miss! Wait, we haven't taken your statement yet!

Kate shook off the officer rushing to take her into protective custody and plunged into the crowd.

That’s when I saw Lucien shield her with his coat, blocking the pursuing officer's line of sight.

With my presentiment turned into certainty, my vision stained red.

A searing murderous urge welled up from deep within my throat.

It was a sensation I hadn't felt since that night, amidst roaring flames and screams, when my father murdered my friend.

(Bravo, Lucien.)

(As an old friend.…and as a fellow villain.)

(For driving me to harbor such murderous rage.)

(Her will belongs to her alone. To violate or trample upon it—)

Is something I’ll never forgive.

[Transitions to Crown - Neu POV]

Jude: So Rex’s been thrown into the clink, and Kate’s missin’?

Jude: Heh, that’s a riot. Even a guy like ‘im can screw up, huh?

Ellis: You shouldn't take pleasure in others' misfortune, Jude.

Yeah, so shuddup, Jude. ( •̀ - •́ ) /bonk

Harrison: Still, it’s shocking.

The morning after the incident, the newspapers were all in an uproar about the affair.

“EARL REX - PREVIOUS MURDER SUSPECT COMMITS ASSAULT IN BROAD DAY LIGHT!”

Elbert: What’s strange is how quickly the police announced that William faced charges for other offenses.

Elbert: For additional charges to come to light the very day the incident happened.…that’s highly unusual.

The additional charges William faced were for attempting subversion of the state.

“Evidence was discovered linking him to the import and export of illegal drugs.”

“All the perpetrators behind the string of high-profile assassinations had close ties to Lord Rex. He orchestrated it all.”

Roger: Looks like they’ve piled on every charge possible, from Lesli Avarus’ crimes to the Queen of Heart’s Copycat.

Alfons: Public opinion is split down the middle too. Those in support of him are crying out that it’s ‘another conspiracy born from corrupt power!’

Alfons: And those who revile him are shouting that ‘he’s a devil!’

Alfons: He’s really starting to look the part of a villain headed for a spectacular downfall, isn't he?

Roger: Is that really the sort of thing to say when a colleague’s in trouble?

Alfons: Oh, come now. That is exactly what he wanted, after all.

Harrison: Even so, it’s better than the situation right after the coordinated assassinations, where paranoia was spreading between the authorities and the public.

Harrison: The troubling bit is the implication of having those additional charges announced so rapidly.

Harrison: It almost certainly means the police were in league with Avarus' son.

All the members of Crown nodded at Harrison's observation.

None of them had ever imagined that the police were colluding with a disgraced noble plotting to overthrow the British government.

Victor: I can't help but feel that the entire series of incidents was orchestrated solely to drive Will into this situation.

Ellis: So a recluse like Lesli exploited the copycat’s plan, and the police took advantage of that?

Victor: ….Though, there might be a mastermind pulling the strings behind all three of them.

Liam: But... is it really true that Will slashed someone with a knife?

Alfons: Allow me to shed some light on that.

Alfons: Apparently, it was Kate who wielded the knife.

Roger & Elbert: What…?

Liam & Harrison: You’re kidding?/That can’t be right.

Alfons: I assure you this is no mistake. You see, I personally received a confidential note from the victim who was slashed.

Alfons held up the telegram, letting it flutter slightly as the corners of his mouth curled upward.

Elbert: I see. The victim is that reporter….he’s the one whom you met that night at the Tower of London, isn’t he Al?

Alfons: It appears William was taken into custody after covering for Kate’s crime.

Alfons: “At the time of her slashing me, she was acting very unusual.”

Alfons: “I hope that sharing this with you will help lead to a resolution."

Alfons: “Please don't worry about the injury”—and so on.

Elbert: He really is an incredibly good person, isn't he?

Victor: Since he didn’t use a command, and surrendered without resistance. I’m certain Will has a plan.

Jude: You sure put a lotta faith in ‘im.

Ellis: So, are we going to search for Kate?

Victor: Yes, something is definitely wrong with her.

Victor: Finding Kate is our top priority….I'm counting on you all.

[Kate POV - Transitions from Crown to Unknown Location]

In the distance, I hear the sound of rain.

First, the sound of a single raindrop. Then, nine.

Nine raindrops? If that's not symbolic for our OG villains, then I don't know what it is.

It accelerates instantly. The silence crumbles, and my consciousness begins to sink.

Down, down, down into a deep, unfathomable darkness...

I jolt awake to find myself in bed in an unfamiliar room.

(Where am I…?)

It’s raining outside, and the room is dim, steeped in gray as if all color has drained away.

I instinctively reach into my pocket, ready to draw my golden knife, but it isn't there.

Kate: What…?

As I stand there, bewildered, the door opens.

Zane: Oh, you're awake?

A Letter Received Two Days Before the Tea Party, About the request you made to me this morning about coming up with a name for the children’s home…You already know that I had already been thinking of one, don't you? I noticed your eyes silently asking to hear the candidates, but I’ve decided to keep them a secret for now. After all, you surprised me by keeping Ethan’s visit a little secret. Surely, a little payback is fair. Once I’ve settled on a name, I plan to share it with you. We can see then whether or not it’s to your liking. Oh, and I have a suggestion as well. How about using the upcoming Mad Tea Party to recruit supporters for your children’s home? You mentioned that you intend to keep the founder anonymous to avoid the stigma of it being a facility built by the lover of a grave sinner. So, you should look for people who can keep a secret, people who can become your accomplices. You’re sure to find them at that tea party. Taking any step forward inevitably brings fear and anxiety. Whenever you feel like stopping, just listen to the voice within your own heart. And remember this….I’m always on your side. Yours devotedly, 𝓦𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓶 𝓡𝓮𝔁

[Sequel Master] [Chapter XI + Premium ]

Lucien: A question? ….Fine, ask.

Option: What kind of organization is Libra?

Lucien: It’s an organization dealing with curses that span multiple nations. Knowing anything beyond that would do you no good.

Lucien: I’ve no interest in idle chatter. This conversation is over.

Lucien: There are things in this world one ought to understand, and things one is better off not knowing. Remember that, Bébé.

He calls us "baby" in French.

Lucien: A day may come when I send your soul to the heavens.

Lucien: Until then, I’ll make the best choice possible.

Option 2: Are you also cursed?

Lucien: Yes.

Lucien: …………Is there a need to tell you anymore than that?

Lucien: There are things in this world one ought to understand, and things one is better off not knowing. Remember that, Bébé.

Lucien: A day may come when I send your soul to the heavens.

Lucien: Until then, I’ll make the best choice possible.

Option 3: Why do you look so stern?

Lucien: Because I’m weighing whether or not to strangle you to death.

Lucien: Did that not cross your mind? Are you careless, or simply naive? …..Perhaps, you’re both.

Lucien: There are things in this world one ought to understand, and things one is better off not knowing. Remember that, Bébé.

Lucien: A day may come when I send your soul to the heavens.

Lucien: Until then, I’ll make the best choice possible.